THE  FAITH  OF  JAPAN 

BY 

TASUKU  HARADA,  LL.D. 

Professor,  Oniversity  of  Hawaii 


AN  ADDRESS  BEFORE  THE  MEN’S  CLASS 
OF 

CENTRAL  UNION  CHURCH 

HONOLULU 


Printed  by  request 
for  private  circulation 
1925 

Copies  may  be  obtained  on  request  made  to 
Central  Union  Church,  Honolulu. 


THE  FAITH  OF  JAPAN 

Shinto,  Buddhism  and  Confucianism  are 
three  forms  of  religion  which  have  thrived 
side  by  side  in  Japan  for  more  than  four- 
teen centuries.  They  have  given  the  Jap- 
anese the  elements  of  faith  that  have 
characterized  the  life  of  the  nation.  With 
an  exception  of  a comparatively  small 
number  of  Christians  and  agnostics,  the 
latter  rapidly  growing  in  number,  the  whole 
people  are  nominally  followers  of  the  triple 
faith.  Strange  though  it  may  seem,  many 
of  them  believe  in  three  religions  without 
being  conscious  of  conflicts  that  exist  be- 
tween one  religion  and  another.  One  may 
consecrate  a baby  at  its  birth  according 
to  Shinto,  he  may  follow  the  Buddhist 
ceremony  in  the  burial,  while  for  the  con- 
duct of  daily  life  he  may  be  a faithful 
pupil  of  Confucius.  But  each  of  these 
religions  is  radically  different  from  the 
others  in  its  origin,  history,  ideal,  practice 
and  what  not. 

The  Indigenous  Faith 

Shinto  is  the  only  indigenous  faith  of 
^Japan.  It  has  neither  founder  nor  dogma, 
neither  a creed  nor  system.  Its  name, 
"‘the  way  of  the  God,”  was  applied  to  a 
group  of  certain  undefined  beliefs,  in 
order  to  distinguish  it  from  other  religions. 
It  was  at  first  a nature  worship  to  which 
was  later  added  the  worship  of  deified  men. 
Kami  is  the  Japanese  word  for  deity.  “The 
term  Kami  is  applied  in  the  first  place  to 
the  various  deities  of  heaven  and  earth  who 
are  mentioned  in  the  ancient  records,  as 
well  as  to  their  spirits  which  reside  in  the 
shrines  where  they  are  worshipped.  More- 


2 


over,  not  only  human  beings,  but  birds  and 
beasts,  plants  and  trees,  seas  and  moun- 
tains, and  all  other  things  whatsoever  which 
deserve  to  be  dreaded  and  revered  for  the 
extraordinary  and  pre-eminent  powers  which 
they  possess,  are  called  Kami.”  There 
have  been  added  from  time  to  time  various 
new  deities  so  that  the  number  was  stated 
as  “eight  hundred  myriads,”  and  the  coun- 
try was  called  “the  Land  of  Gods.” 

The  Shinto  shrines  are  usually  of  very 
simple  structure,  always  to  be  recognized 
by  a peculiarly  shaped  gate  called  torii, 
formed  of  two  upright  and  two  horizontal 
beams. 

There  are  at  present  113,000  shrines, 
large  and  small,  in  the  whole  empire.  When 
we  compare  it  with  the  number  in  1904, 
which  was  190,000,  it  shows  the  decline 
of  77,000  in  two  decades.  It  is  said  the 
largest  number  of  reductions  in  one  year 
was  more  than  1 5,000,  showing  the  wane 
of  the  primitive  faith.  But  it  is  also  in- 
teresting to  learn  that  since  the  great  earth- 
catastrophe  of  two  years  ago  a reaction 
came,  showing  a slight  increase  rather 
than  a decrease.  It  indicates  an  abiding 
power  of  the  old  belief  among  the  mass 
of  the  people  in  spite  of  the  rapid  progress 
of  modern  education. 

Oldest  Records  of  Japan 

The  “Kojiki”  (records  of  ancient  things) 
and  the  “Nihongi”  (Chronicle  of  Japan), 
ancient  histories  of  Japan,  the  former  com- 
pleted in  712  A.  D.,  and  the  latter  in  720, 
are  regarded  by  Shintoists  as  their  sacred 
books.  They  contain  myths,  legends  and 


3 


the  earliest  history  of  the  people.  There 
are  also  prayers  in  archaic  style,  called 
Norito,  orally  brought  down  from  the  pre- 
historic period.  Shinto  being  inseparable 
from  national  life,  naturally  associates  with 
itself  the  sense  of  loyality  and  patriotism. 
Except  during  certain  limited  periods,  it 
has  been  the  religion  of  the  Imperial  family 
from  the  beginning  to  the  present  day. 
This  fact  largely  explains  the  secret  of  its 
strength. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  term  Shinto 
includes  two  distinct  aspects:  State  Shinto 
and  popular  Shinto.  State  Shinto  has  been 
officially  declared  to  be  not  a religion,  but 
merely  a deep  veneration  of  the  Imperial 
ancestors  and  festivities  and  rites  in  memory 
of  national  heroes.  These  rites  are  under 
the  control  of  the  government  Bureau  of 
Shrines.  Popular  Shinto  is  divided  into 
thirteen  principal  sects,  some  of  which  are 
further  subdivided.  These  sects  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  Bureau  of  Shrines,  but 
are  supervised  like  other  religious  organiza- 
tions by  the  Bureau  of  Religions. 

A Significant  Fact  About  Shinto 

A significant  fact  about  Shinto  is  the 
absence  of  all  tendency  to  objectify  the 
deity  in  visible  form.  The  use  of  images 
and  idols  is  not  indigenous  to  Japan,  for 
one  characteristic  of  pure  Shinto  is  the 
absence  of  all  figures.  A mirror  is  usually 
placed  in  the  holy  place  within  the  shrine. 
Such  sacred  mirrors  are  not  strictly  objects 
of  worship,  but  are  ‘‘typical  of  the  human 
heart  which  in  its  purity  reflects  the  image 
of  Deity:”  and  faithful  followers  of  Shinto 
are  instructed  to  bow  before  the  mirror  of 


4 


the  shrine  in  the  act  of  self-examination. 
Image-making  dates  from  the  coming  of 
Buddhism;  and  the  influence  of  Buddhism 
in  this  particular  is  to  be  noted  even  upon 
Shinto,  for  gradually  a mutual  adaptation 
took  place  and  various  images  came  to  be 
placed  in  Shinto  shrines.  The  custom  of 
keeping  the  family  tablet  of  ancestors  was 
also  introduced  with  Buddhism  from  China. 

Similarly  noticeable  is  the  absence  of 
any  attempt  to  define  the  character  or  at- 
tributes of  Kami.  The  Japanese  mind  in 
all  ages  has  been  quite  content  without 
definite  conceptions  of  Kami.  The  people 
have  not  cared  to  idolize  Kami  even  to 
their  spiritual  sight.  Kami  should  remain 
forever  mysterious  and  incomprehensible. 
To  leave  them  alone  and  revere  them  from 
a distance  was  the  principle  usually  fol- 
lowed. 

“What  here  may  be  enshrined  I know  not; 
Yet  solemn  tears  of  thankfulness  mine  eyes 
o'erflow.". 

Shinto  is  a religion  without  a creed, 
and  without  ethical  requirement;  yet  from 
the  first,  sincerity  of  heart  and  ceremonial 
cleanliness  have  been  demanded. 

Harai  tamaye,  Kiyome  tamayel 

Cleanse,  I implore  thee.  Purify,  I pray! 
This  the  worshipper  cries  as  with  washing 
of  mouth  and  hands  he  prepares  to  present 
himself  before  the  gods.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  Shinto  encouraged  cleanliness,  a pro- 
minent national  habit  of  the  Japanese. 


5 


The  Chinese  Learning 

Confucianism  came  with  the  introduction 
of  Chinese  literature  into  Japan,  which  first 
took  place  in  the  fifth  century.  The  Chinese 
learning  was  at  once  adopted  by  the  court 
and  speedily  spread  among  the  upper  classes 
of  the  people.  Confucianism  has  never 
been  a religion  in  the  strict  sense;  it  has 
always  remained  a school  of  learning  in 
Japan.  Confucius  himself  was  a teacher 
more  than  a philosopher,  not  a religious 
leader.  But  his  political  and  ethical  teach- 
ings have  been  the  most  powerful  influence 
in  the  formation  of  the  ethical  character 
of  the  Japanese,  separately  from  or  mixed 
with  other  religions. 

The  followers  of  Confucius  in  Japan  are 
not  of  one  body,  but  are  divided  into  a 
number  of  schools.  All  these  schools, 
however,  were  united  in  their  devotion  to 
Confucius,  “before  whom  no  one  lived  as 
great  and  after  whom  there  will  be  no  one 
equal  to  him.”  All  of  them  agreed  in 
regarding  the  Four  Books  and  the  Five 
Classics  as  authoritative.  The  Four  Books 
occupied  for  them  the  place  which  the 
Four  Gospels  hold  for  Christians.  Among 
the  four,  the  Analects  stood  first  and 
highest,  for  it  contained  the  personal  teach- 
ings of  Confucius.  Many  book  written  in 
colloquial  for  the  common  people  were 
based  on  Confucian  teachings,  so  that  the 
influence  of  the  Chinese  sage  extended  far 
beyond  the  circle  of  the  literary  class. 

According  to  Confucian  teaching,  there 
are  five  relations  in  life.  They  are  those 
of  ruler  and  subject,  father  and  son,  hus- 
band and  wife,  elder  brother  and  younger 


6 


brother,  and  friend  and  friend.  The  sum 
of  human  virtue  is  also  five:  love  or  hu- 
manity, justice  or  righteousness,  propriety, 
knowledge  or  understanding,  and  faith  or 
truthfulness.  The  Japanese  as  well  as 
Chinese  found  in  Confucianism  a code  of 
inter-human  conduct,  which  men  should 
practice  in  their  daily  life. 

Shunti  or  the  Supreme  Ruler 

Introduction  of  Chinese  learning  modified 
earlier  conception  of  the  Kami.  Many 
centuries  before  Christ,  the  Chinese  wor- 
shipped Shunti  or  the  Supreme  Ruler.  They 
believed  that  by  his  decree  kings  ruled 
and  executed  judgment;  in  his  hands  were 
the  issues  of  life  and  death.  This  ancient 
faith  has  been  preserved  until  our  day. 
At  the  grand  altar  of  Heaven  in  Peking 
sacrifice  was  offered  with  auspicious  cere- 
mony to  the  Imperial  Heaven-Supreme 
Ruler  by  the  emperor  once  a year  at  the 
winter  solstice. 

Confucius  prefered  Tien  or  the  Heaven 
in  place  of  Shunti.  Tien  in  Chinese  charac- 
ters means  one  great;  and  by  that  is 
signified  either  the  blue  sky,  and  imper- 
sonal something,  or  the  Supreme  Being. 
Confucius  never  philosophized  concerning 
the  idea  of  Heaven.  The  “Heaven”  of 
Confucius  is  far  from  the  speculative  con- 
ceptions of  pantheistic  philosophers,  and 
comes  nearer  signifying  personal  being. 
Otherwise  it  is  hard  to  explain  some  of  his 
sayings  as,  for  example,  "He  who  offends 
Heaven  has  none  to  whom  he  can  pray,” 
or  “It  is  only  Heaven  who  knoweth  me.” 
The  worship  of  Tien  or  Shunti  was  never 
instituted  in  Japan.  But  the  ideas  of  Tien 


7 


and  Kami  mutually  influenced  each  other 
until  through  association  the  terms  at 
present  are  well-nigh  interchangeable.  If 
we  may  say  that  Tien  universalized  the 
idea  in  Kami,  it  would  also  be  fair  to  say 
that  Kami  personalized  the  idea  in  Tien. 

The  Introduction  of  Buddhism 

A.  D.  552  is  usually  spoken  of  as  the 
date  of  the  introduction  of  Buddhism  to 
Japan.  In  that  year  the  king  of  Kudara, 
one  of  three  kingdoms  in  Korea,  presented 
to  the  emperor  of  Japan  a statue  of  Buddha, 
scriptures,  banners,  and  other  ritual  in- 
struments, accompanied  by  a letter,  in  which 
Buddhism  was  praised  as  “the  most  excellent 
of  all  teachings.”  It  was  a personal  mis- 
sionary message  from  a king  to  a sovereign. 
In  regard  to  this  new  religion,  the  court 
was  divided  into  two  parties.  The  history 
of  Buddhism  for  the  following  fifty  years 
is  a record  of  its  rise  and  fall  with  one 
party  or  the  other. 

An  earnest  and  the  most  powerful  ad- 
herent of  Buddhism  was  found  in  Prince 
Shotoku,  the  Constantine  of  Japanese  Bud- 
dhism. This  imperial  prince  flourished  early 
in  the  seventh  century.  He  prepared  a 
constitution  of  the  country  in  seventeen 
articles,  in  which  Buddhism  was  proclaimed 
the  foundation  of  the  state  and  the  highest 
religion  in  the  universe.  Temples  and 
monasteries,  educational  and  philanthropic 
institutions  increased.  Priests  and  nuns, 
many  of  them  from  the  Imperial  family, 
entered  religious  orders.  Different  sects 
were  established  one  after  another  by 
priests,  Chinese  and  Korean,  as  well  as 
by  the  Japanese  who  brought  back  fruits 
of  their  study  in  China. 


8 


Buddhism  is  of  Indian  origin.  The  found- 
er, Gautama,  belonged  to  a high  caste 

family  called  Sakya  in  the  northern  portion 
of  India.  His  father  was  the  chief  or 

patriarch  of  a clan.  A story  of  his  early 
life  narrates  that  “when  he  was  surrounded 
by  luxury  there  came  to  him  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  disgust  man  feels  at  the  sight 
of  old  age  and  sickness  and  death,  and  as 
he  pondered  these  things,  his  enjoyment  of 
life  vanished.”  It  was  the  beginning  of 

his  quest  after  the  enlightenment  or  the 

lasting  peace  of  mind.  For  several  years 
he  wandered  from  one  teacher  to  another 
seeking  redemption  by  the  way  of  know- 
ledge but  failed.  Whereupon  he  tried  the 
most  rigorous  austerities  without  success. 
Disappointed  and  deserted  he  sat  beneath 
the  Bo-tree,  and  spent  four  weeks  in  fast- 
ing and  meditation,  and  at  last  attained 
the  enlightenment.  For  forty  years  or 
more  Gautama  traveled  far  and  wide 
preaching  the  way  of  emancipation  "from 
suffering  in  this  world  of  sufferin.g.”  He 
lived  to  be  eighty  years  old  and  died  not 
long  before  or  after  480  B.  C. 

Buddhism  as  it  exists  in  Japan,  and  other 
countries,  is  apparently  a religion  of  con- 
tradictions. It  is  most  philosophical  in 
one  form  of  it,  grossly  confused  in  the 
other.  Sects  and  divisions  are  almost  in- 
numerable. The  objects  of  worship  and 
doctrines  concerning  them  are  absolutely 
beyond  the  comprehension  of  an  ordinary 
mind.  The  scriptures  amount  to  several 
thousand  volumes  in  all.  Intellectually 
Buddhism  is  a speculative  idealism;  prac- 
tically it  is  a mass  of  idolatry. 

There  are  two  great  branches.  One  is 

9 


the  Mahayana  or  Great  Vehicle  doctrine, 
the  other  the  Hinayana  or  Small  V'ehicle 
doctrine.  They  are  sometimes  called  from 
their  geographical  prevalence  the  Northern 
and  the  Southern  branches.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  two  small  sects,  now  extinct, 
all  Japanese  Buddhism,  past  and  present, 
belongs  to  the  Mahayana.  Mahayanists 
claim  their  teaching  to  be  later  but  more 
developed  and  more  philosophical,  there- 
fore the  more  comprehensive  of  the  two 
systems  of  Buddhistic  belief. 

Sects  and  Sub-sects 

Fourteen  principal  sects  of  Buddhism 
there  are  in  Japan,  many  of  which  are 
divided  into  a large  number  of  sub-divisions. 
Time  does  not  allow  me  to  refer  to  these 
various  sects,  but  it  may  be  of  interest  if 
I mentioned  some  of  the  sects  represented 
in  the  territory. 

I.  Shingon  Sect  was  founded  by  Kobo, 
an  illustrious  name  in  the  history  of  Jap- 
anese Buddhism.  He  was  commissioned  by 
the  emperor  to  visit  China  in  804,  came 
back  two  years  later  and  founded  Shingon 
Sect.  Magnificent  temples  with  hundreds 
of  halls  and  monasteries  on  Mount  Koya 
are  lasting  monuments  to  his  memory. 
The  chief  deity  of  the  sect  is  called  Dai- 
nichi  or  the  Great  Illumined,  who  is  some- 
times identified  with  the  Sun  Goddess  of 
Shinto.  Gautama  Buddha,  according  to 
Kobo,  is  only  one  of  many  manifestations 
of  eternal  Dainichi.  Shingon  is  the  True 
Word,  the  efficacious  formula,  and  by 
knowing  the  True  Word,  desired  results  can 
be  achieved.  Shingon  priests  are  thus  held 
to  be  masters  of  occult  powers  and  are 


10 


“employed  to  secure  for  the  living  the  at- 
tainment of  their  desires,  and  for  the  dead 
the  mitigation  of  the  pains  of  hell.”  The 
sect  is  now  third  in  number  among  the 
sects  of  Japan. 

2.  Soto  is  one  of  the  divisions  of  Zen 
sect.  Zen  has  as  its  aim  the  realization 
of  the  real  and  unchanging  self  which  lies 
behind  the  world  of  sense.  Consequently 
it  lays  the  stress  on  meditation.  The  sect 
has  had  great  influence  among  the  samurai 
of  earlier  times  and  army  officers  of  today. 
The  popularity  is  due  to  its  emphasis  on 
self-discipline  and  self-control.  In  its  vari- 
ou.s  forms  the  Zen  sect  has  today  a larger 
number  of  temples  than  any  other  Buddhist 
sect  in  Japan. 

3.  Jodo  or  Pure  Land  sect  was  founded 
by  Honen  in  A.  D.  1175,  but  the  worship 
of  Amida  existed  long  before  that  year. 
Amida,  the  Ruler  of  the  Western  Paradise, 
is  a mighty  and  merciful  Buddha,  who  made 
a vow  that  he  should  not  become  a Buddha 
until  he  had  accumulated  merits  to  save 
all  who  put  their  trust  in  him.  Honen 
proclaimed  salvation  for  all  mankind  not 
by  meditation  nor  by  ritual,  but  by  the 
“repetition  of  the  name  of  Amida  Buddha 
with  faith  in  his  boundless  mercy,  whereby 
we  may  be  born  in  the  happiest  Pure 
Land.”  The  fundamental  tenet  of  Honen’s 
religion  consisted  of  faith  in  the  power 
of  the  all  compassionate  and  almighty 
Amida,  the  Lord  of  the  Pure  Land. 

4.  Shin  sect  or  Jodo-Shin-Shu  (Pure 
Land  True  Sect)  was  established  by  Shin- 
ran,  sometimes  called  the  Martin  Luther  of 
Buddhism.  He  was  a disciple  of  Honen, 
but  he  went  much  further  than  his  master 


in  the  application  of  the  doctrine  of  salva- 
tion by  faith.  He  forbade  the  worship  of 
all  Buddhas  but  Amida  and  denied  the 
merit  of  any  possible  deed  for  the  salva- 
tion of  the  believer,  preaching  absolute 
dependence  in  faith  on  the  merit  of  that 
one  supreme  Buddha.  Na-mu-A-mi-da- 
Butsu,  an  expression  of  six  written  charac- 
ters, meaning  glory  to  Amida  Buddha  is 
the  prayer,  the  adoration  and  creed  of 
the  Shin  sect.  Following  the  example  of 
Shinran  who  married  a princess,  breaking 
the  Buddhist  tradition,  the  priests  in  this 
sect  marry  and  are  householders. 

In  Kyoto  are  two  head  temples  of  the 
sect  called  Hongwanji,  the  west  and  the 
east  representing  two  divisions  of  the  sect. 
Both  have  magnificent  wooden  structures 
of  huge  dimensions,  each  with  a number 
of  subordinate  buildings.  The  Shin  sect  is  at 
present  the  most  popular  church  in  Jap- 
anese Buddhism,  and  has  shown  great 
adaptability  to  modern  conditions,  and  in 
recent  years  has  adopted  many  of  the 
methods  of  Christian  propaganda. 

5.  Nichiren,  who  flourished  in  the 
thirteenth  century,  was  the  founder  of  the 
sect  bearing  his  ov/n  name.  He  was  a 
man  of  vigorous  personality  and  uncom- 
promising zeal.  It  was  at  the  time  when 
Japan  was  under  fear  of  invasion  by  the 
Mongol  Emperor.  Nichiren  warned  the 
nation  that,  if  they  accepted  not  the  true 
faith,  the  country  would  be  vanquished 
by  the  invader.  The  chief  scripture  upon 
which  his  system  was  founded  was  the 
Lotus  of  the  Good  Law.  He  strongly  de- 
nounced the  worship  of  Amida  and  pro- 
claimed the  supremacy  of  Gautama,  who 
was  stated  as  the  eternal  Buddha  in  the 


12 


heavens.  The  sect  has  retained  something 
of  the  founder’s  fanaticism  and  is  the  most 
aggressive  type  of  the  Buddhist  church  even 
at  the  present  time. 

An  Outstanding  Conception 

The  foregoing  brief  sketches  of  a few 
sects  will  be  sufficient  to  show  that  there 
are  all  sorts  of  beliefs  and  manners  in  so- 
called  Buddhism.  There  are,  however, 
certain  outstanding  conceptions  or  ideas 
which  will  represent  the  religion  as  a whole. 
The  most  conspicuous  of  these  outstanding 
conceptions  is  that  of  Satori  or  enlighten- 
ment. It  best  conveys  to  the  Japanese 
mind  the  religious  ideal  of  Buddhism. 
Spiritual  enlightenment  by  the  dispersion 
of  ignorance,  or  a perfect  understanding 
of  the  truth  by  liberation  from  false  and 
erroneous  ideas,  may  be  said  to  be  the 
final  goal  of  Buddhist  teaching. 

The  ways  and  means  of  attaining  this 
final  goal  are  different  according  to  sects 
and  sub-sects.  The  Buddhist  will  say: 
From  varied  sides  the  paths  ascend. 

Many  and  far  abreast. 

But  when  we  gaze  on  the  calm  full-moon 

Single’s  the  mountain’s  crest. 

Buddhism  revealed  to  the  Japanese  a more 
serious  view  of  life.  It  taught  the  imper- 
manence of  all  things  and  that  nothing 
exists  which  endures.  Satisfaction  should 
not  be  sought  in  the  externals  of  the  world. 
Peace  may  not  be  found  amidst  the  con- 
stant changes  of  life.  From  Buddhism 
Japan  gained  a conception  of  the  universe 
at  once  broader,  more  inclusive,  and  far 


13 


more  complex  than  that  depicted  in  her 
naive  belief  of  Shinto. 

From  the  Satori  of  Buddhism  thus  came 
Japan’s  aspiration  for  ultimate  reality  be- 
hind the  changing  cause-governed  pheno- 
mena of  the  world  and  that  calm  disposi- 
tion so  well  imaged  in  Dalbutsu,  the 
colossal  bronze  statue  at  Kamakura,  which 
one  has  described  as  “a  true  symbol  of 
the  central  idea  of  Buddhism,  the  spiritual 
peace  which  comes  of  perfected  knowledge 
and  the  subjugation  of  all  passions.” 

Bushido,  the  Code  of  Samurai 

Any  exposition  of  the  faith  of  the  Jap- 
anese would  be  incomplete  without  a re- 
ference to  Bushido,  the  code  of  the  samu- 
rai or  knightly  class.  It  is  not  a religion 
nor  a system  of  morality.  It  has  never 
been  organized,  but  has  always  remained 
a principle.  The  Indigenous  faith,  with 
Chinese  ethics  and  Indian  philosophy,  com- 
bined to  develop  the  principle  that  arose 
as  a product  of  the  social  environment  of 
the  feudal  system.  Bushido  has  inspired 
the  Japanese  breast  with  the  spirit  of 
loyalty  and  patriotism.  F.  Brinkley,  the 
author  of  History  of  Japanese  People  goes 
as  far  as  to  say,  “If  religion  be  the  source 
from  which  springs  the  motives  of  men's 
noblest  actions,  then  the  religion  of  Japan 
was  neither  the  Law  of  the  Buddha,  nor 
the  Path  of  the  Gods,  but  the  Way  of 
Warriors.”  For  the  description  of  Bushido 
I refer  you  to  Dr.  Nitobe’s  “Bushido,”  a 
classic  among  books  relating  to  the  Jap- 
anese, being  translated  into  a dozen  lang- 
uages. 


14 


Christianity,  Catholic  and  Protestant 


The  sixteenth  century  witnessed  the 
coming  of  Roman  Catholic  Christianity. 
At  one  time  it  counted  several  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  converts.  Some  of  the  daim- 
yos  were  earnest  believers.  But  it  was 
practically  stamped  out  by  bitter  persecu- 
tions, chiefly  for  political  reasons,  after  a 
brief  life  not  long  enough  to  play  a role 
in  the  spiritual  development  of  the  nation. 

At  the  opening  of  the  country  in  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  Chris- 
tianity was  introduced  for  the  second  time, 
and  is  making  headway  in  all  parts  of 
the  empire.  During  the  past  three  de- 
cades Roman  and  Greek  Catholics  as  well 
as  the  Protestants  of  Europe  and  America 
have  commissioned  their  missionaries  in 
several  thousands.  Educational  and  social 
institutions  as  well  as  religious  have  been 
inaugurated.  Among  the  three  forms  of 
Christian  churches  the  Protestant  counts 
nearly  two  hundred  thousand  of  communi- 
cants. The  two  Catholic  will  add  to  them 
about  a hundred  thousand,  making  the 
total  number  of  the  professing  Christians 
as  three  hundred  thousands.  The  influence 
of  the  Christian  church,  however-  should 
not  be  measured  by  its  numerical  figures. 
Christianity  is  already  recognized  as  one 
of  the  three  religions  of  Japan,  the  other 
two  being  Buddhism  and  Shinto.  The 
name  of  Christ  is  upheld  by  non-Christians 
as  well  as  the  Christian  as  a great  religious 
teacher  at  par  with  Gautama  and  Con- 
fucius. Particularly  in  its  social  activities 
the  Christian  church  leads  all  other  religious 
organizations. 


15 


Christianity  and  Other  Religions 

Christianity  has  been  a spur  to  the  old 
religions  and  has  aroused  them  to  new 
activity.  The  many  signs  of  new  life  lately 
displayed  by  Buddhism  and  Shintoism  can 
not  be  referred  to  a single  cause,  but  the 
spread  of  Christianity  has  had  a great  in- 
fluence over  them  all.  Buddhists  and 
Shintoists  have  established  schools  for  the 
education  of  the  priests  and  the  laity. 
Some  of  them  have  founded  Young  Men’s 
Associations,  Women’s  societies,  Sunday 
Schools,  and  all  sorts  of  charitable  institu- 
tions. Recently  the  wedding  ceremony  was 
innovated  in  their  temples  in  imitation  of 
the  Christian  ceremony,  and  it  is  becoming 
popular  among  the  people. 


Japan,  with  all  her  progress  in  the  arts 
and  crafts  of  civilization,  and  all  her  friend- 
liness toward  Christian  ethical  standards, 
is  far  from  being  a Christian  nation,  but 
! it  is  evident  that  Christian  truths  and  ideals 
are  actively  at  ferment,  mightily  affecting 
the  ethico-religious  life  of  the  Japanese  in 
all  its  aspects. 


\ 

i 

I 

R 

I 

I 


THE  FAITH  OF  JAPAN 

Hartford— Lamson  Lectures 

BY 

TASUKU  HARADA 


I PUBLISHED  BY 

I MacMillan  Company 

• NEW  YORK 

Ml— lilt— M — HK— — m— M— HM— IM— 


